Do thin people ever get sleep apnea?
Question:
In article <4ve142$…@antares.en.com>, sa…@goosebump.com wrote: > Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea?
I am thin and have it. I have used a CPAP for 10 years. — Dr. Richard Pavelle Invent Resources Box 548 Lexington, MA 02173 617-729-3746 o 617-721-2300 f URL: http://www.catalog.com/invent/ internet: r…@ai.mit.edu
Response:
Dr. Richard Pavelle (r…@ai.mit.edu) wrote: : In article <4ve142$…@antares.en.com>, sa…@goosebump.com wrote: : > Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea? : I am thin and have it. I have used a CPAP for 10 years. : — : Dr. Richard Pavelle : Invent Resources : Box 548 : Lexington, MA 02173 : 617-729-3746 o : 617-721-2300 f : URL: http://www.catalog.com/invent/ : internet: r…@ai.mit.edu
Response:
Ron, Yes, thin people get sleep apnea. It’s the shape and operation of the airway, from nose down into the chest, that is important, not the shape of the body! You can have obstructive sleep apnea as a result of numerous possible physical obstructions of the airway. In the nasal passages, for example, from swollen mucous membranes from allergies, or from a deviated septum. In the throat, from a long soft palate or a large uvula or a large tongue, or other somewhat loose throat tissue that gets in the way when you lie down, fall asleep, and the throat muscles relax; or from a small jaw, or a large neck containing fatty tissue, that is compressing the throat tissue and restricting the size of the airway. You can have central apnea, which is when your breathing reflex, in sleep, fails to send a message to your breathing muscles. Or you can have mixed apnea, a combination of airaway obstructions plus irregularities in the breathing reflex in sleep. Being overweight contributes to sleep apnea because (as I understand it), (a) the fatty tissue in the neck compress the airway, and (b) the extra load in the chest and abdomen interfere with breathing reflexes. And there may be metabolic things going on, too. In a few people, weight gain is the main cause of the sleep apnea, and if they can take off the extra weight and keep it off, they are free of apnea. In most people, losing extra weight helps to decrease the severity of the sleep apnea and makes it easier to treat. If that isn’t more than you want to know about sleep apnea, e-mail me about a book for people with sleep apnea that I coauthored with a sleep specialist, Dr. Ralph Pascualy, here in Seattle. And if you suspect you have sleep apnea — e.g. the bedpartner says you snore — it would be a good idea to check it out. We bedparthers are usually right, at least about the snoring. Best wishes, Sally in Seattle JSo…@aol.com
Response:
Ron wrote: > Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea?
No Way! About30% of my patients are "Normal" size vs weight. My son who is 13 is actually underweight for his height/weight. It can happen to anybody. I think the in the beginnning it was related to larger patients because we thought it was Pickwickian (sp?) syndrome. People that stopped breathing at night that were "Thin" were called just "Normal". BillsCPAP in Seattle
Response:
In article <4ve142$…@antares.en.com>, sa…@goosebump.com (Ron) writes: >Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea?
I personally know of a man at my church…quite thin…who has sleep apnea. In his case, a significant portion of it is attributable to a deviated septum or something like that. He is currently scheduled for surgery. It is my understanding that OSA in thin people can only be cured by removing the uvula and other tissues in the back of the through…although CPAP would probably work as a permanent treatment. Joel
Response:
Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea?
Response:
sa…@goosebump.com (Ron) writes: >Is it only over weight people that get sleep apnea?
Nope! Sleep apnea is a ’syndrome’ with many causes and many effects. Overweight can be afactor, and for some people losing weight can reduce or eliminate apnea. However, for other people who are normal or thin, apnea also strikes. I haven’t heard a good explanation, but I can suggest that some factors are the size and design of the airway and the degree to which it relaxes during sleep. Extra tissue in the throat can help close off the airway, and where this is a factor, one might expect that losing weight will help. — Jerry Halberstadt. *President, New Technology Publishing, Inc: Health & Business Resources *Principal, FORESIGHT: Visionary business plans. * PHANTOM SLEEP PAGE <http://www.newtechpub.com/> *<halbe…@world.std.com> * 6 W.Blvd. POB 1737, Onset MA 02558 USA.
